Incinerator



D. J. MORGAN June 4, 1963 INCINERATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 30, 1960 ul' Dave J Morgan INVENTOR.

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June 4, 1963 D. J. MORGAN 3,092,050

INCINERATOR Filed Sept. 30, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I 70 60 I I a Hill 52 66 Dave J Marg 6 7 INVENTOR.

3,092,050 INCINERATOR Dave J. Morgan, R0. Box 820, Blackwell, Okla. Filed Sept. 30, 1960, Ser. No. 59,765 3 Claims. (Cl. 11018) This invention relates to a novel and useful incinerator and more specifically to an incinerator which may be conveniently utilized to burn trash and other unwanted household materials with a high degree of safety.

Many residential sections are provided with trash removal services which collect trash every second or third day. However, if the day for removing trash in one area falls on a holiday the residents of that section must then find a means for storing their trash and unwanted particles which are normally removed from their premises by the trash collecting agency for an extra two or three days. This of course can become a nuisance inasmuch as residents usually do not have sufficient storage facilities on hand for storing double the usual amount of trash.

In addition, many persons living in residential areas do considerable gardening work and it is difficult to find suflicient space to store collected clippings and cuttings from shrubbery and the like until the day scheduled for trash removal. Inasmuch as most residents are able to do their gardening when time permits and they cannot schedule their gardening for a time just before the scheduled trash pick up, trash from gardening can make the normal pleasant task of gardening unpleasant with the result that many persons would rather forget about the gardening and merely garden when it is absolutely necessary. Accordingly, many residential sections have a run-down appearance merely because there is insuflicient trash removal service in that area.

Although many types of trash can be burned by a resident, this method of disposing of unwanted excess trash is not always an answer to the problem inasmuch as burning in the open is controlled to a great extent by the weather and burning in the open is restricted to a great extent by many community rulings.

It is the main object of this invention to provide an incinerator which will provide a means whereby all unwanted combustible trash may be conveniently burned in a safe manner and in a manner which will be approved by local community rulings.

In addition, the incinerator may also be used to house cans of garbage and the like when it is not being used for burning combustible trash and therefore provides a means whereby the usual eyesore of garbage cans may be removed.

A further object of this invention, in accordance with the preceding object, is to provide an incinerator which may be utilized to burn combustible trash during all types of weather.

Yet a further object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding objects, is to provide the incinerator with a flue that will extend upwardly a considerable distance above the grate in the incinerator whereby the smoke from burning trash may be greatly minimized. By providing a flue of considerable length, the water vapor within the smoke and the unburned and partially burned particles of trash passing upwardly through the flue will have additional time to evaporate Patented June 4, 1963 and burn more completely before the smoke is dispensed into the atmosphere.

A further object of this invention is to provide an incinerator having an ash compartment in the lower end thereof with grate means disposed thereabove for supporting the trash to be burned with the grate means including movable grate sections mounted for movement between horizontally disposed and aligned positions for supporting trash to be burned and positions substantially vertically disposed and spaced transversely of the incinerator whereby the remains of burned trash may fall through the grate and into the ash compartment.

Still another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is -to provide means in the ash compartment for supporting a receptacle for the remains of burned trash to fall into and to provide a wall of the incinerator with an opening horizontally aligned with the support means for a receptacle within the. incinerator whereby a receptacle for receiving the remains of burned trash may readily be moved from a position immediately beneath the grate means within the incinerator laterally and outwardly of the incinerator so that the collected ashes may be disposed of as required.

A further object of this invention is to provide an incinerator including an upright housing having opposite sides, front and rear walls interconnected at adjacent edges with the walls of the incinerator above the grate means for supporting the trash to be burned each including double wall panels which are spaced apart and have suitable insulating material disposed therebetween whereby the outer surfaces of the incinerator will be in poor transfer relation with the fire within the incinerator.

A final object to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide an incinerator which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and eflicient in operation so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and well adapted for its intended purpose.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the incinerator comprising the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the incinerator with parts thereof being broken away and shown in section to more clearly illustrate some of the structural details of the incinerator;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevational view of the incinerator;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the incinerator as seen from the right side of FIGURE 2 but with the movable top of the incinerator shown in an open position and parts of the incinerator housing being broken away and shown in section, the grate means within the incinerator being shown disposed in positions to enable the remains of burned trash to fall downwardly into the receptacle within the ash compartment;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of the incinerator similar to that of FIGURE 4 but showing the hinged top section in .a closed position and the grate sections in substantially horizontally disposed and aligned positions for supporting trash to be burned within the incinerator;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary front eleva-' tional view of the lower portion of the incinerator with parts thereof being broken away and shown in section to more clearly show hidden structural details;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view of the lower portion of the incinerator as seen from the right side of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a horizontal sectional view on somewhat of an enlarged scale taken substantially upon a plane passing above the grate means within the incinerator and showing the grate sections in horizontally disposed and aligned positions.

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the latch means for retaining the treadle lever in a position with the top of the incinerator in an open position as illustrated in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional view illustrating the manner in which the actuating means for the grate sections may be retained in position with the grate section substantially horizontally disposed;

FIGURE 11 is a vertical sectional view similar to that of FIGURE 10 but showing the latch means for the grate actuating means disposed in an inoperative position;

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevational view of the actuating mechanism for moving the movable section of the top of the incinerator between open and closed positions; and

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken upon a plane passing through the lowermost end of the incinerator a spaced distance above the support means for supporting an ash receiving receptacle within the incinerator.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates the incinerator compris ing the instant invention. The incinerator 10 includes a generally upright and hollow housing generally referred to by the reference numeral 12 which includes opposite side walls 14 and 16 and a front wall 18 and a rear wall 29. The adjacent vertical edges of the walls 14, =16, 18 and 20 are interconnected in any suitable manner. The grate assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 22 is disposed within the housing 12 a spaced distance above the lower end of the housing and extend transversely thereacross between the walls 14, 16, 18 and 20. The grate assembly includes a pair of grate sections generally designated by the reference numeral 24 which each comprises an open framework 26 with a support shaft 28 extending through a medial portion thereof. The opposite end of each of the support shafts 28 is rotatably journalled between the opposite side walls 14 and 16 by mean of a pair of bearing journal assemblies 30 carried by the inner surfaces of the opposite side walls 14 and 16.

The support shafts 28 are substantially parallel and spaced apart and are interconnected between the pair of corresponding ends of the support shafts 28 projecting through the side wall 14, by means of an actuating linkage assernbly generally referred to by the reference numeral 32. The linkage assembly 32 includes a pair of crank arms 34 each fixedly connected at one end to one of the shafts 28. The free ends of the crank arms 34 are interconnected by means of a connecting link 36 whose opposite ends are pivotally secured to the free ends of the crank arms 34. An actuating lever 38 has one end fixedly secured to one of the shafts 28 as at 40, see FIGURE 4, and the free end thereof is provided with a latch assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 42 for engagement with a keeper element 44 secured to the side wall 14. Thus, it may be seen that movement of the free end of the actuating lever 38 will effect simultaneous and equal movement of the grate sections 24 between substantially horizontally disposed 4 positions illustrated in FIGURE 5 of the drawings and substantially vertically disposed and transversely spaced position illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings.

The walls 14, 16, 18 and 20 each include an inner wall panel 14, 16', 18' and 26 above the grate assembly 22. The inner wall panels 14', 16', 18' and 20' are spaced from and substantially parallel with the walls 14, 16, 18 and 20 respectively and a suitable insulating material 46 is disposed between the confronting surfaces of each of the inner wall panels and the corresponding portion of associated wall of the housing 12.

The front wall 18 of the housing 12 is provided with an opening 48 in the lower end thereof below the grate assembly 22. Disposed in the housing 12 in substantial horizontal alignment with the lower edge of the opening 48 is a support structure referred to by the reference numeral 50 which includes a pair of spaced generally parallel support rods extending and secured between the front and rear walls 18 and 20 of the housing 12. The opposite ends of the support rods 52 are secured to the inner surfaces of the front and rear walls 18 and 20 in any convenient manner such as by welding 54 and the rods 52 are interconnected by means of a pair of bracing rods '56.

A receptacle generally referred to by the reference numeral 58, see FIGURES 6 and 7 is provided for insertion through the opening 48 in order to collect ashes dropping through the grate assembly 2-2. The receptacle 58 is shaped like a drawer and is provided with a front panel 60, opposite side panels 62 and a rear panel 64 interconnected by means of a bottom panel 66. The front panel 66 is of sufficient size to extend beyond the edges of the opening 48 and is provided with a handle "70 to facilitate the withdrawal of the receptacle 58 through the opening -48. The bottom panel 66 of the receptacle 58 is provided with a plurality of L-shaped bracket members 72 whose depending flanges 74 embrace the remote surfaces of the support rods 52 to guide the receptacle 58 during its movement into and out of position disposed beneath the grate assembly 22.

The housing 12 is provided with a suitable base assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 76 for suitable securement to a support platform such as a concrete slab and the upper end of the housing 12 is provided with a top wall generally referred to by the reference numeral 78 including a movable section 80 comprising a closure for the open end of the housing 12. The movable section 80 is provided with a transversely extending support shaft 82 fixed thereto and whose opposite ends are journalled in apertured mounting lugs 84 carried by the opposite side walls 14 and 16. In this manner, the movable section 80 is mounted for pivotal movement about the longitudinal axis of the shaft 82 for movement between a closed position such as that illus: trated in FIGURE 5 and an open position such as that illustrated in FIGURE 4.

A crank arm 86 has one end fixedly secured to the shaft 82 and the other end is pivotally connected to the upper end of an actuating rod 88 whose lower end is pivotally secured to an intermediate portion of a treadle lever 90 as at 92. The rear end of the treadle lever is pivotally se cured to the housing 12 as at 94 and the free end thereof is provided with a laterally extending shaft96 having diametric enlargements 98 on the opposite ends thereof. The shaft 96 is for engagement by the foot of a person wishing to open the movable section 86 of the top wall 78. A spring 100 is secured between the side wall 14 of the hous ing 12 and the treadle lever 90 and resiliently urges the treadle lever 90* to a position with the movable section 80 disposed in a closed position.

The top wall 78 also includes an upwardly projecting gathering or flue chamber generally referred to by the reference numeral 162 which opens'downwardly and is in communication with the upper end of the interior of the housing 12. The lower end of an upright flue 104 is secured about an opening (not shown) formed in the top 106 of the flue chamber 102 and a cone shaped rain cap 108 is supported in alignment with and is spaced from the upper end of the flue pipe 104 by means of an expanded metal section 110.

The latch assembly 42 includes a latch pin 112, see FIGURES 10 and 11, slidably disposed through an opening 114 formed in the actuating lever 38. The end of the latch pin 112 adjacent the side Wall 14 is provided with a stop member 116 and a compression spring 118 is disposed between the stop member 116 and the actuating lever 38 whereby the latch pin 112 is normally urged in a direction to the right as seen in FIGURES 10 and 11 for engagement with the opening 120 formed in the keeper 44. It is to be understood that the keeper 44 may be conveniently constructed of a section of pipe which has been cut along a cord of a length of pipe. The longitudinal edges of the pipe section and keeper member 44 may be secured to the outer surfaces of the side wall 14 in any convenient manner.

The end of the latch pin 112 remote from the side wall 14 is provided wi th a diametrically enlarged head portion 122 and an apertured end of an actuating lever 124 slidably receives the end of the latch pin 112 disposed outwardly of the actuating lever 38. An intermediate portion of the actuating lever 124 is rockably mounted to the actuating lever 38 by means of pin 1 26 and the end of the actuating lever 124 remote from the head 122 of the latch pin 112 may be urged toward the actuating lever 138 in order to withdraw the inner end of the latch pin 112 from the opening 120 formed in the keeper 44. In this manner, the actuating lever 38 may be released from engagement with the member 44 in order to move the grate sections 24 from a position illustrated in FIGURE of the drawings to the position illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings.

The treadle lever 90' may also be engaged with a keeper member for retaining the treadle lever 90 in position with the movable section 80 of the top wall 78 in an open position. The keeper member for the treadle lever 90 is referred to by the reference numeral 128, see FIGURES 2, 3 and FIGURE 9, and is provided with a cam surface 130 and a recess 132 for receiving the treadle lever 90.

In operation, when it is desired to burn trash Within the incinerator 10, the treadle lever 91) may be depressed by a person placing his foot on the rod 96'. As the treadle lever 90 reaches its lowermost point of travel, it will engage the cam surface 130 and have its free end urged outwardly and over the outer surface of the keeper member 128 until it is engaged in the recess 132. The portion of the housing 12 disposed above the grate assembly 22 may then be filled with trash and ignited. As the trash burns ashes will fall through the grate assembly and into the receptacle 58. However, if the combustion of the trash is not complete, certain portions thereof will remain above the grate assembly 22. Then, after the fire within the housing 12 has died out, the actuating lever 38 may be moved to the position illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings, to position the grate sections in substantially vertically disposed positions whereby the unburnt portion of the trash within the housing 12 will fall into the receptacle 58. After a given amount of ashes and unburned trash has collected in the receptacle 58, it may be withdrawn through the opening 48 and emptied and thereafter replaced within the housing 12. If it is desired, before the trash within the housing 12 is ignited, the treadle lever 90' may be disengaged from its keeper member 128 so that the movable section 80 of the top wall 78 may be moved to the closed position illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings.

After the grate sections 24 have been positioned to enable the unburned trash to fall into the receptacle 5'8 and the portion of the housing 12 disposed above the grate assembly 22 has been cleared of ashes and unburned trash, the actuating lever 38 may then be manipulated again to return the grate sections 24 to the positions illustrated in FIGURE 5 of the drawings.

As the trash within the housing 12 burns the draft created by the fire will pass upwardly through the flue chamber 102 and into the lower end of the flue pipe 104. It is to be understood that the flue pipe 104 is of substantial length so that the smoke from the fire within the housing 12 may be freed of a considerable amount of unburned trash particles and water vapor. In this manner, the in cinerator 10 may be utilized to burn household trash and clippings from shrubbery and the like in a manner that is extremely safe and that will minimize the objectionable odors and smoke normally resulting from trash fires.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An incinerator comprising an upright hollow housing including opposite side, front and rear walls interconnected at adjacent edges, an ash compartment in the lower end of said housing and a discharge opening in said front wall in horizontal alignment with said ash compartment for removing ashes therefrom, grate means in said housing above said ash compartment for supporting trash to be burned, said grate means including movable grate sections generally rectangular in plan, said grate sections being rotatably mounted in said housing by means of integral support shafts rotatably supported from said housing for movement about generally parallel horizontally disposed axes, said shafts projecting outwardly of one side wall of said housing and having a pair of corresponding ends of a pair of generally parallel crank arms fixed secured thereto, a connecting link having its opposite ends pivotally secured between the free ends of said crank arms, an actuating lever operatively connected at one end to the outwardly projecting end portion of one of said shafts, said one side wall of said housing having an outwardly projecting keeper secured thereto defining an opening extending transversely of said one wall, a latch pin carried by the free end portion of said actuating lever registrable with said keeper opening and mounted for movement relative to said actuating lever and transversely of the plane in which said actuating lever is movable, means normally resiliently urging said latch pin toward an extended position for reception in said opening when axially aligned with the latter, lever means carried by the free end portion of said actuating lever engageable with said pin for moving the latter from an extended position to a retracted position from within said opening, said keeper including cam surfaces disposed on the opposite side of said opening from which said pin is approachable for engagement with and urging said pin toward a retracted position.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said housing includes a top wall secured between the upper edges of said opposite side, front and rear walls, said top wall including a panel-like forward movable section, means mounting said movable section for swinging movement about an axis extending along one edge of said movable section transversely of said housing between a closed position closing the upper end of said housing and an open position enabling access to the interior of said housing from the upper end thereof, said top wall also including a rear stationary portion defining an upright gathering chamber communicated with the interior of said housing, an outlet opening formed in the upper portion of said gathering chamber, an outlet flue pipe having its lower end in communication with said out let opening.

3. The combination of claim 2 including means for moving said movable section toward an open position and selectively retaining said movable section in an open position, said last mentioned means including a treadle lever pivotally secured to the lower rear portion of said one side wall of said housing and operatively connected to said movable section for efiecting swinging move- 5 ment of the latter in response to swinging movement of said treadle lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 8 Holmquist Mar. 25, 1924 Strube July 1, 1930 Howle July 1, 1930 Folsom et a1. Dec. 5, 1933 Meyerstein July 27, 1937 Barrett Nov. 7, 1944 Moseley May 24, 1949 Miles Oct. 31, 1950 Brownell Aug. 7, 1951 Lyttaker Dec. 22, 1953 Triggs June 5, 1956 Buchanan Aug. 7, 1956 Cogar Sept. 16, 1958 Friedberg Nov. 8, 1960 

1. AN INCINERATOR COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT HOLLOW HOUSING INCLUDING OPPOSITE SIDE, FRONT AND REAR WALLS INTERCONNECTED AT ADJACENT EDGES, AN ASH COMPARTMENT IN THE LOWER END OF SAID HOUSING AND A DISCHARGE OPENING IN SAID FRONT WALL IN HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID ASH COMPARTMENT FOR REMOVING ASHES THEREFROM, GRATE MEANS IN SAID HOUSING ABOVE SAID ASH COMPARTMENT FOR SUPPORTING TRASH TO BE BURNED, SAID GRATE MEANS INCLUDING MOVABLE GRATE SECTIONS GENERALLY RECTANGULAR IN PLAN, SAID GRATE SECTIONS BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING BY MEANS OF INTEGRAL SUPPORT SHAFTS ROTATABLY SUPPORTED FROM SAID HOUSING FOR MOVEMENT ABOUT GENERALLY PARALLEL HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED AXES, SAID SHAFTS PROJECTING OUTWARDLY OF ONE SIDE WALL OF SAID HOUSING AND HAVING A PAIR OF CORRESPONDING ENDS OF A PAIR OF GENERALLY PARALLEL CRANK ARMS FIXED SECURED THERETO, A CONNECTING LINK HAVING ITS OPPOSITE ENDS PIVOTALLY SECURED BETWEEN THE FREE ENDS OF SAID CRANK ARMS, AN ACTUATING LEVER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED AT ONE END TO THE OUTWARDLY PROJECTING END PORTION OF ONE OF SAID SHAFTS, SAID ONE SIDE WALL OF SAID HOUSING HAVING AN OUTWARDLY PROJECTING KEEPER SECURED THERETO DEFINING AN OPENING EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID ONE WALL, A LATCH PIN CARRIED BY THE FREE END PORTION OF SAID ACTUATING LEVER REGISTRABLE WITH SAID KEEPER OPENING AND MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID ACTUATING LEVER AND TRANSVERSELY OF THE PLANE IN WHICH SAID ACTUATING LEVER IS MOVABLE, MEANS NORMALLY RESILIENTLY URGING SAID LATCH PIN TOWARD AN EXTENDED POSITION FOR RECEPTION IN SAID OPENING WHEN AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE LATTER, LEVER MEANS CARRIED BY THE FREE END PORTION OF SAID ACTUATING LEVER ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID PIN FOR MOVING THE LATTER FROM AN EXTENDED POSITION TO A RETRACTED POSITION FROM WITHIN SAID OPENING, SAID KEEPER INCLUDING CAM SURFACES DISPOSED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID OPENING FROM WHICH SAID PIN IS APPROACHABLE FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH AND URGING SAID PIN TOWARD A RETRACTED POSITION. 